Pure
by Ikiru.Warau.Aisuru
Summary: Aizen won the battle in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo and co. are getting ready to come for Orihime once more. The sunshine haired girl is still in her room in Las Noches, and is still being watched over by the Fourth Espada. slightly AU. Inoue VERY OOC.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Thank you Bleach Gods for giving me chapter 353 to play with!! I really wasn't a big fan of Orihime. At all. But now, all this fangirlishness [[oh snap new word]] for Ulqui/Hime is driving me up the wall. Uploaded at the same time as this [[if everything goes according to plan]] is a oneshot for Ulquiorra and Orihime's supercheesy cuteness titled Done Pretending. It's definitely not my best work, but I've got four stories going on right now. [[Yay for my unknown muse kicking my brain into action!!]]_

_Anyway, enjoy!!_

_Oh yeah! And I can't forget to give ALLLLLLL my thanks to my WONDERFUL beta fishy slash APUS buddy, Jessica!!! [[AKA Gaarafan3125.]]_

_Summary: Aizen won the battle in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo and co. are recuperating in Karakura Town and getting ready to come for Orihime once more. Meanwhile, the sunshine haired girl is still in her room in Las Noches, and is still being watched over by the Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer. (slightly /HIME! Orihime VERY OOC. You've been warned.)_

I stared blankly at the barren walls I had seen so many times before. Just white, nothing more, nothing less. Aizen hadn't allowed me to change anything about the room, regardless if I were his human 'pet' or his personal slave or his 'guest.' Whatever I was, I wasn't leaving. Not for a while, at least. Not until Kurosaki and the others were stronger once more. Stronger than they were the last time they fought the Arrancar and lost. Stronger than they ever have been...

But I knew that I had to give them all my hope and all my wishes. And all my prayers, if there really was a "God" beyond Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. Because from what I've seen and sensed, the Arrancar were not something to be taken lightly.

Lost within my thoughts of Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san, God, Soul Society, and my living own personal living Hell, my 'caretaker,' or rather, my assigned baby-sitter, Ulquiorra Schiffer, walked into my room. Without knocking, of course... Again.

"One day, you're going to walk in, and I'm going to be stark naked. And you're going to feel like a total ass." I spat in his general direction, from my bed. I didn't bother getting up. I had taken to cussing lately. Became less of a good, innocent girl and more of an uncaring bitch. I guess this place has a way of gradually changing a person. I mean why should I care about language? The use of 'vulgar words' was definitely _not_ the worst thing happening around Las Noches.

He answered me in a similarly uncaring monotone. "I would simply shield my eyes. Get over it, I'm not going to knock, no matter what you say, what you do, or what you're wearing." The last part he said almost sarcastically, rolling an emerald green eye over his shoulder (not literally, although I knew it was possible,) to look at me pointedly.

"Ha." I smiled sardonically at him as I rolled onto my side, then pulled myself into a sitting position. "So what are you here for, now? Come to take my blood, make sure I'm still human? Oh wait! No, let me guess!! You're going to _make _me eat again. Threaten me until I do or some new tactic this time? Oh, I know maybe you'll do something like _ask_ this time." I hated the person standing before me with this detached, emotionless look plastered on his face. I wanted nothing more at the moment than to _force_ him to show an emotion. _Any_ emotion.

But I had tried everything I knew! Harsh words did nothing. Wishing the worst possible deaths made him roll his eyes and _agree_. I always knew he had screw loose or two or three. What a sadist... Trying to Physically attack only hurt me. He wouldn't touch me; of course not it was his precious Aizen-sama's orders. But either way I gave myself bruises trying to slap, kick, punch, or anything else I could think of that might hurt. His skin was harder than steel...

Stupid espada. They all had that stupid armor skin.

Of course, I was still a little shocked that I had said or did those things. I mean this _is_ me we're talking about. Although I acted how I did now, I was still Inoue Orihime. I still really didn't wish anyone death or sickness. Even Aizen, no matter how horrible he was. But especially not someone who had taken care of me; even going as far as to eat his meals with me to make sure I ate. I couldn't be _that_ rude, not to eat with someone else. Ironic, I could cuss him out up one side and down the other, but I couldn't reject eating with him.

I didn't really hate the fourth espada. As much of a front as I put on that screamed I _did _hate him. He kept me sane in this Hell. I couldn't hate him, not entirely at least. I'm not sure I'll go skipping around singing 'I loved him' yet, but not 'I hate him.'

"Actually, yes. I did come to _make_ you eat again." He told me, back turned as he unfolded a table that was usually propped in the corner of my room. "It's Yakisoba." He added casually.

I couldn't help but feel a little uplifted. I didn't normally eat Yakisoba; not for lack of loving it, but because I normally didn't have money to spare for buying ingredients. Plus, I knew that if I _did_ get everything needed for it, it would probably end up looking, and tasting, like earthworms...

I attempted to roll my eyes. But he caught me. He always did.

"Don't even try to act like you're not pleased." He threw back to me. Not maliciously, but almost, jokingly? No, couldn't be. Not the infamous emotionally deficient fourth espada.

Shrugging in an attempt to seem relaxed I got up and pulled a chair over to where I would sit. "Yeah, okay. It smells good..."

"Thanks."

It didn't hit me until I had taken a few bites already that he said thanks because he had cooked the meal himself. My mouth nearly dropped open. I figured everyone in Las Noches, if not all of Hueco Mundo, had their meals made for them. Who knows, maybe they did, and Ulquiorra just liked to cook. My curiosity got the best of me.

"What else do you cook?" I tried to slip in nonchalantly.

He caught me again.

"Oh? Feeling up to small talk, are we?" It almost sounded as though he wanted to crack a smile. Then he quickly said, almost as if he were embarrassed, "I can't cook too much. Just a little from a variety of countries."

He had my attention. Variety of countries? So I looked up at him as best I could with my chin almost touching my plate, and asked, once I had finished my bite of course, "What countries?"

"Well, I make a mean chicken alfredo, Italian food, Yakisoba from Japan, Papayas from Spain, and a few other things here and there." He replied quietly. He was embarrassed! But why? It was so cool!

"Wow. So what else do you do that's really odd and unexpected?" I teased lightly.

He paused. "Nothing, really. But why are you so talkative tonight?"

I wasn't really sure, now that I thought about it. "hmm... I don't really know. I guess I'm just thinking that if I'm going to be stuck here being babysat by you, I might as well get along with you. But you know I could ask you the same thing."

He just looked at me. No emotion. Blank.

"You won't get along with me." Was all he said.

"But why not? Why am I so doomed not to get along with you? Because you're the 'villain?' Because you tried to, and almost succeeded in, killing all my friends?" Now I started to see his way. "You're right. I'm stupid for trying to keep an open mind." I pushed my seat back so I could walk away from him.

"Get out." Was all he heard before my bathroom door slammed closed with a loud _**SLAM**_.

-*-*-*-

I was surprised at my own temper. Really, he was validly warning me to stay away from him. I should have realized that when my friends returned to Hueco Mundo, he would attack them again. Bile rose up in my throat and I had to concentrate very hard not to see my dinner just moments after I ate it.

After my shower, I felt physically and emotionally drained. I liked showers here they hid away your emotions so easily. Ulquiorra, who normally walked in to make sure I was okay before I fell asleep, couldn't tell that I had been crying.

I always cried in the shower here. Mourning, I guess. A release of the emotions I had to hide to survive here. For myself, for Kurosaki and Kuchiki, and Sado and Ishida, and all my other shinigami friends. For my behavior here, and how I missed being my old self. For everything.

I walked out of the bathroom in my pj's, just normal, white pants and a white shirt. There was too much white here. Wasn't white supposed to represent innocence? How could such a pure color be used in such a place? And as I looked up from the floor, something on my bed caught my eye.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" I asked my appointed guardian. He was sitting on the corner of my bed. Hands folded in his lap, head hanging down. I was still angry with him, but my sobbing had me so tired I could do nothing but flop down beside him on the comforter. He turned a little so he could see my face. I just stared back.

"Umm..." He said. Oh jeez. He was always so sure of himself. It made no sense that he would second guess saying something now, especially with his personality.

"Spit it out. I'm tired." I stifled a yawn and closed me eyes.

"I apologize for upsetting you." He said very quickly. But before I could even react to his extremely rare apology, he added "I heard you crying. Are you okay?"

Shit! He caught me, once again.

"I'm fine." I replied slowly. "I just miss my friends, I guess. And it's okay. I know you're just trying to warn me."

He was still looking at me when I forced my eyes to open.

"I don't...understand." He stated. "Are you really bound to them so much? Your so called 'friends?'"

"Yes." Was all I said back.

"Hmm..." again. "Well. I don't understand that. I don't understand much about these emotion things. But they're going to lose again. And this time, we won't hesitate to kill them. Aizen has ordered us to." He looked back down at the floor as he said this.

I just closed my eyes again. Willing the tears not to fall; trying to keep them hidden inside. My question came out a hoarse whisper. "Do you want to kill them, though?"

Silence met my inquiry until I opened my eyes once more. He was looking at me again, but he didn't quite meet my eyes.

"I-...I don't want to upset you more. But if you really want me to answer you I will. I don't get any satisfaction in killing your acquaintances, save for Kurosaki. I will kill him."

I couldn't keep the tears back now, not when he swore he'd kill the man I loved. "Will you- _please,_ will you try not to kill any of my friends? _Please..._" My voice broke as I sobbed at the thought of my friends dying on my behalf. This whole ordeal was my fault... If only I weren't so weak.

He stood up. "I cannot promise. But I will try not to kill anyone except Ichigo Kurosaki. As I said. I _will_ kill him."

I just turned onto my stomach and sobbed, head turned to the side so I could suck in large gasps of air.

He sighed and his breath hit my face. Strangely minty. He had gotten up so he could walk around the bed to kneel by my side. Then I felt one of my many fallen tears be wiped away by an oddly warm, though hard as stone, thumb. When I first touched him I always thought his skin would be like ice.

"Don't mourn until the appropriate time. Our numbers will be severely decimated also. Worse than ever before." His voice dropped so low I had to force myself to stop my loud sobs to hear. "You may be able to escape with those who live." He whispered. "I cannot promise, again, but you may be able to..."

Then I felt him rise off his knee and start to walk toward the door. "Goodnight, woman. Try not to cry anymore."

Then my door closed.

I sobbed again, louder and harder than I had since coming to Hueco Mundo. I cried myself to sleep that night.

-*-*-*-

Ulquiorra Schiffer closed Inoue Orihime's door and leaned against it, listening to what should have been the most heart-wrenching sobs. He simply looked at the ceiling and thought about everything said that night. Other than Ichigo, he really didn't really want to kill anyone. He never did get a 'kick' out of murder, honestly. He was a terrifying monster, he knew that. But he didn't want to kill anyone. Well, almost anyone. He wasn't like the other espada in that respect, not like Grimmjow and Nnoitra.

He stood, leaned against his hostage's bedroom door, until she fell silent. She had cried herself to sleep.

_Stupid girl, caring so much for something that's inevitable. _He thought as he walked down the hallway to his own room.

That night would prove to be hard on both the captive and captor.


	2. The Joy of Childish Games

_**Author's note:**__ okay. So…I've had this written since about two days after I posted the first chapter. But I JUST NOW got to typing it. I'm a little sad, because on paper, without any kind of a.n. or disclaimer of even the chapter title, it was ten pages. Now, with everything, it's only six. *Sad face.*_

_On a different note. Let me know what you think of Grimmjow. ;) I did him like that _

_specially for my beta fish, Jessica. _

_For some odd reason, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow remind me of Draco and Blaise in every HP fanfic I've ever read._

_Anyway. Enjoy the tic-tac-toe ness!! *Smiles*_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Don't. I. Wish._

**Chapter two: The Pleasure of childish games**

"Over emotional humans." The fourth espada scoffed as he reached his quarters. "Good for nothing but worrying and crying. Ugh." Ulquiorra rolled an emerald green eye and stepped into his room. Before he could even flick on the light, an all too familiar voice-smooth, but discreetly laced with malice; poisoned velvet, if you will- washed over him in a cool wave.

"Getting close to the little healer, are we?"

"I strongly dislike your sarcasm, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra offered as a reply, flicking the lights on. Dim illumination filled the sconces on the white walls, turning everything into shadowy shades of brown and dark grey. The sexta espada lounged on the fourth's bed, stretching his legs and smirking.

"Aw, come on lover. You simply _adore_ my sarcasm. You adore all of me." The teal haired man sat up and winked as he ran a hand lightly over his expanse of stomach muscle. Ulquiorra simply stared at him as though he were a dust bunny found under a neat freaks bed. "Although they are similar in sound, it is most likely best that you do not mistake the words 'adore' and 'abhor' for each other."

The smirk on Grimmjow's face fell. "That was cold, lover. And you still haven't answered me. Avoiding the question, are we?" Worry and despair, both false of course, appeared on the sixth's feline-like features. "Why, Ulquiorra! Are you leaving me for an orange haired little ray of sunshine?"

Ulquiorra was tired and wanted to get the sound of a young woman's crying out of his mind. Even now it was disturbing, but not as disturbing or annoying as the man currently on his bed's thoughts and suggestions were. He brought a thin hand up to his temples, rubbing small circles, and closed his ever seeing eyes. "Your game annoys me. I am not a homosexual, nor am I attracted to the woman. Now if you please, _leave._"

Grimmjow knew his playtime was quickly coming to a close. It was always like this, even before the fight they had over the little girl who was so vital to Lord Aizen's plan. Grimmjow would act blatantly gay, and much to his amusement, Ulquiorra would become awkward and begin avoiding him. It was quite amusing teasing the fourth, but on matters such a romance, even during his lifetime, which yes, he still remembered parts of, he had had an uncanny precision on predicting things.

"You break my heart." He said as he pushed himself off the bed.

"You don't have one." Was the reply he got. But as he passed the green eyed 'young man,' he leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"You're not attracted to her, you're right. Not yet. But trust me, you will be." And, trademark smirk back in place, he darted his tongue out of his mouth to lick Ulquiorra's earlobe, and ran out the door at full speed. Ulquiorra didn't try catching him; he did nothing except stare, open mouthed in shock, and angrily wipe saliva off of himself. Even as an inner voice screamed in horror at the contact.

-----

Orihime was strolling through Las Noches. To her bare feet, the substance that she dragged her toes through felt like sugar sand. _Spirit particles. Hm…_ She thought as she glided through the deserted area. The moon appeared to fill the black sky, giving everything she saw a dull purple tint. La luna itself glittered a metallic, liquid silver, and no dark splotches, craters, could be seen. Everything about this place was odd, Orihime observed. But why was it all so calm, so innocent?

Not one sound reached her ears as she shuffled past a lone crystal tree. Her path was very clear, yet the girl was not aware of the direction her feet were taking her. The moon grew larger; more round, more glittery. The circumference of the metallic sphere took up more and more of the inky black night. Orihime felt suffocated by the beauty. She had to get closer; had a need to touch, to feel the tangible shimmer of moonlight between her fingers. She rushed onward, though still at a walking pace.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours of step after silent step, Orihime reached the orb. A slight breeze washed over her, blowing her soft tangerine hair over her shoulders and back toward the hell she had been placed in. The wind was-impossibly, yet it still was- coming from the unblemished silver goddess herself. Orihime slowly reached a hand toward the illuminated sphere, the inanimate god of serenity, eager, yet timid to touch the light.

Her hand met the liquid glitter and sank through easily, as if the girl had simply touched a puddle. She closed her fingers around the substance and withdrew her hand. Light-tangible, touchable, solid yet liquid light- came with the extremity. It felt like a mixture of plasma and hair while underwater. Egg whites, maybe. It slipped through her hands slowly, but puddles stayed formed in her palm. She caught some of the dripping light in her other hand. Rubbing the shimmer between her fingertips, Orihime pinpointed what the substance resembled.

Blood.

The fluid of life. It made up the moon.

The silver light turned into a dark scarlet, and the plasma-like feeling on her hands changed, became thick, viscous blood. Her friends' blood, their lives. The lives and the blood of her loved ones ran down Orihime's hands, staining them with the color of sin. But how could the moon, something so utterly pure, be composed of something as heinous and dark as her friends' blood?

Orihime, slate grey eyes wide in horror, snapped her head up from her hands to stare at the tainted goddess. But instead of silver, or of even red, her eyes met a fortune teller's crystal ball. Her hair blew in a frenzy behind her as the wind picked up, but Orihime just stood frozen, watching the scene revealed through the cloudy orb.

Ichigo's face, contorted in excruciating pain, flashed to her eyes first, closely followed by that of Rukia's as blood flowed freely from her mouth. She was losing her life fast. Chad's massacred form, limbless and devoid of life, came after, and Ishida, and then, in various degrees of blood filled horror, the forms of Orihime's shinigami and human friends flashed before her shocked eyes.

"Everything you hold dear will be lost in a bloodbath, Orihime Inoue." Aizen's greasy, quiet voice called to her from the moon. He sounded as though he were taunting her, but also almost as though he were comforting her, _consoling_ her.

The wind suddenly died, and the moon turned back into a silver pool. It no longer held any attraction in her eyes, though. Orihime let her now clean arms fall back to her sides, and let out a horrendous, blood curdling scream.

-----

The next thing she knew, cold fingers were clamped down around her upper arms. The loud half command, half cry of "Wake up, woman!!" was barely audible over the tortured screams of someone else. Orihime's heart tore, and her grey eyes flew open, at the sound. She took in the ceiling she had stared at many times before, before realization hit her. Hers was the voice of the internally dying person. She was that scream. The room became silent as Orihime sucked in a ragged breath. Her unfocused and unseeing eyes met ever seeing emerald ones as she froze. Ulquiorra, in a desperate attempt to awaken the girl and cease her screaming, had literally straddled her and pinned her violently thrashing arms to her sides.

"Are you quite done woman?!" he practically screamed in her face, emerald eyes wide.

She simply stared back, dumbfounded.

"Why are you sitting on me?" Was the reply he received once she had regained her voice.

The espada climbed off the bed quickly and threw back "You were thrashing in your sleep. I had to make sure you didn't bring harm to yourself. You are of no use to Lord Aizen if you are hurt."

Orihime flinched at the name, but, being her stubborn self, attempted to threaten as she sat up "Maybe that's for the best then."

"I will _not_ hesitate to have you strapped down if you attempt anything." Came the snarky reply of Espada Cuarto.

Becoming uneasy at the thought, she tried to change the subject. "When is breakfast?"

Ulquiorra saw through her façade of course, but figured it best to humor the girl, so he ignored it. "Not for a while. Everyone else is still sleeping. You should, also." He went to turn for the door, but a small hand with a firm but hesitant grip brought him to a quick halt. He hadn't felt her stir, nor had he heard the girl move. At all. Something that uneased him.

"Please don't leave me here. I _can't_ be alone right now." She pleaded. Ulquiorra had always felt uncomfortable around her, but the fire of warm human skin on his sleeve combined with the pain her tear filled eyes bore into his was too much. His heart almost went out to her, if he had had one. He took a step back. "Fine. I will remain only until you fall back asleep."

Orihime gave a dry laugh. "After that, I won't be asleep again. At least not tonight. You might as well make yourself comfortable." _Impossible_, Ulquiorra replied silently to himself. Comfort, fear, and love were things he could never feel. After all he didn't have a heart.

Back in his own bed somewhere else in Las noches, Grimmjow laughed for no apparent reason.

-----

Ulquiorra Schiffer and Orihime Inoue sat in silence, not quite relaxed, but not quite awkward either, for a while, until the grey eyed girl could no longer stand it.

"Want to play a game?" She asked the espada sitting next to her.

"Game?" "Yes. Something you do for fun?" "Fight." "No." He was hopeless. She shook her head. Then got an idea. "Let's play tic-tac-toe!"

The answer she got was a blank stare.

"Do you even know what that is?"

Another blank stare.

It's a simple game really. You try to make a line of three out of your symbols. Here, I'll show you." She explained, trying to shake the lingering feeling of blood on her hands off. She grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper off her desk. It was still odd to her that she could find certain things from the human world in Hueco Mundo. Despite this random thought, she sat back down next to the arrancar and drew a tic-tac-toe board on the paper. Then she drew an 'x' in the middle box and put the pen down in front of him. "Now you put the letter 'o' in a box."

Ulquiorra picked up the pen and looked at his captive. "Why?"

Orihime sighed, exasperated. "To play. To get your mind off all problems."

The emerald irised espada hesitated, then placed a letter 'o' in the bottom left box. He then passed the pen to Orihime. This was madness. The girl wrote her little 'x' in the box above his letter and pushed the little ink filled stick to him. He picked it up and put his letter in the top right hand box. She then placed her final letter below his last move and drew a thin line through them. "You're supposed to stop me from making three. I win."

Ulquiorra was not one who enjoyed losing. "Draw another set of boxes." He huffed.

Orihime smiled slightly to herself and did as she was commanded.

-----

The two ended up playing the simple children's game for hours. Finally, one hundred thirty-two losses and three wins later, Ulquiorra heard a knock at the door.

"Enter." He commanded, rising to his feet.

A cart preceded the arrancar. "Breakfast" was all the man said before he pivoted and walked briskly out of the doorway he had just entered.

Orihime stood and walked to the cart, face somber.

"I'll eat today. I'll cooperate." The girl looked torn between crying and smiling. "Thank you for staying with me." She said quietly as she rested her fingertips lightly on a silver dish.

Ulquiorra resisted a sigh and turned to the door, which stood ajar. He stated "I will return in an hour." And with that, the door shut with a soft 'click' behind him, and Orihime was left in silent solitude once more.


End file.
